Just as I am
by Danni1989
Summary: Damon spends the night contemplating his existence now that Elena had finally confessed her love for him.  Summary sucks but give the story a shot.  fluffy one shot.  SONGFIC


I love love love thsi song. Just as I am, by Air Supply. The first thing I thoguht of when I first heard the song was Damon. the lyrics are practically written for him. Even if the writing sucks the song is work the couple minutes to read this short song fic. Please read and review and let me know what you think.

Ps I own nothing.

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><p><em>I've had a lot of big dreams.<em>

_I've made a lot of bad moves._

_I know you could walk away._

_But you never do._

He sat back against the headboard of the bed he was laying in, unable to sleep. He couldn't sleep because lying next to him was the most beautiful, most perfect woman on the planet and for reasons unknown to him she chose him. Before her all he wanted was to release Katherine from the tomb, when that failed. When she betrayed him by not being where she said she would be and for not caring for him. He was broken. He was so broken that he hurt the people that meant the most to him now. He hurt Elena on more occasions than he cared to remember. She had all the reason in the world to just leave. To just turn away from him and never see him again. Bur she never did. She always stayed and she always endured. He loved her for that. He loved her. Period. End of discussion.

_I've met a lot of cold hearts._

_I've learned to smile and deceive._

_I know I'm hard to be around._

_But you never leave._

Throughout his 170 odd years on this planet, he had made bad people, and he had met good people. Not one of those good people were as good to him as Elena. She looked at him and seen the man he wanted to be underneath the hard exterior. She seen the real him. It was amazing and it felt amazing to be the man she knew he could be. Throughout his years he learned to hide that real him behind face smiles and deception. He deceived women into giving up their bodies and their blood. He learned to take and take and never give anything back. He was Damon Salvatore. He was meant to be feared, meant to be avoided. He wasn't meant to be loved. He was unlovable. He had given her plenty of reasons to up and leave. He was cruel to her and to her friends and family. Hell, he had even killed her brother on occasion. Granted he always came back to life, but that didn't matter. He had given her more than enough reasons to pack up and leave him. But she never did. Maybe it was true what they said, and what she told him on a regular basis. Maybe she did love him as he loved her.

_I'm not easy to understand._

_But you hold out your hand._

From the first time she helped him, from the first time she touched him. He was hooked. He was hooked on this human girl who would set important things aside to help him the cruel unsaveable vampire. She had eyes that pierced his soul, if he had one. Which was still debatable in his eyes. She made him feel like he had a soul. Or could possibly redeem his soul. He remembered being so broken after being unable to find Katherine, and she wrapped him in her arms and just held him. That was easily the moment he fell in love with her. When she set aside her questionable feelings for him and helped him through the roughest night of his life. She was perfect. Elena Gilbert was his angel.

_And you say you love me._

_Just as I am._

_You always treat me the best that you can._

_You say want me, need me, love me_

_Baby just as I am._

_Just as I am._

He remembered when he was lying on his death bed and she told him that she liked him now, just the way he was. He knew she was being honest, and she was glad she didn't try to change him them. He knew that she cared for him deeply even at that point even if she wasn't quite there yet. He was just glad she got there. He felt her stir beside him and nestle her small body in closer to his. He sighed happily and wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer to him. Her snuggling up into him interrupted his inner conversation and he didn't care. He could live happily just holding her. She loved him just as he was. He didn't have to change for her. He didn't have to go to a bunny diet, he didn't have to pretend to be a good Samaritan. He just had to be Damon Salvatore, the ruthless vampire who was completely in love with a human. If that was all he had to do to make her happy, then that was what he would do. She was so different from Katherine, the differences were almost comical. Unlike Katherine who openly used him for his body, Elena treated him with respect and love. She told him daily how she loved him, and how happy she was that she dad him. It was clear that she wanted him and she let herself need him. It made him feel like he belonged which was something he hadn't felt in eons. She loved him for who he was, not what he'd done and that was alright by him.

_Made a lot of heartaches._

_Found a lot of closed doors._

_When all the others turned away._

_You loved me more._

_You loved me more._

It was true he was the ruthless vampire, he had broken a lot of hearts and ended a lot of lives. He hurt more people than he cared to admit. And he honestly felt remorse for them now, he couldn't say that a year or so ago. Back then he had flashes of remorse when he knew she would have been ashamed and disappointed in him. But at that point she was still firmly Stefan's girl and he was unlovable. But now that was all changed, Stefan was no more in Elena's life and he was in the winners circle finally. Finally Damon Salvatore got the girl. Whenever he had found something he wanted, he never got it. He had found a lot of things that weren't available to him. Like true love. Like honestly. Trust. Hope. All the things he now associated with Elena. When he had lost everyone, she cared more. When no one would help him, when no one else cared. She was there. Even when she didn't want to be, she was still there. She had so much care and so much love in her heart, that even at his worst, she was there for him. She loved him and he would be forever in her debt for that. She loved him more when everyone turned away. It sure felt good to be chosen for once.

_I'm not easy to understand._

_But you hold out your hand._

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head pulling her even closer to him. God, how he loved this human girl. In the grand scheme of things one human girl should not make a big difference to the world. She would live and die, and many people wouldn't care. But to him? She was his entire world. She made it go around, she made it understandable. When he took her hand whether in public or in private, everything made sense. He didn't know when he had become so romantic and oh so corny, but he kind of liked it. He liked thinking of Elena. He liked knowing that she was his, heart, body and soul. And he loved thinking that he was hers all the way too. He even liked spending the entire night awake revelling in the fact that she was here, in his bed with him, sleeping peacefully.

_And you say you love me _

_Just as I am_

_You always treat me the best that you can._

_You say you want me, need me, love me _

_Just as I am._

_Just as I am._

He was glad his inner rambling wasn't waking her up. She was so sensitive to how he was feeling, or what he wanted. He rarely even had to say a thing to convey his emotions. It was the way they knew each other so well. They had started out as nothing, she didn't like him and he wanted her because she looked like Katherine. Then they became friends against all the odds and then he fell in love with her, which wasn't too much of a leap. He didn't know of anyone who wouldn't fall for Elena Gilbert if given the chance. She was perfection personified. And then against all the odds and despite what everyone else said, she fell for him. And from there he never looked back even though he woke up every morning wondering how that happened. How did he finally after over a century of being the second best, of never being anyone's first choice, he was hers. She chose him and she made it clear each and everyday that he was who she wanted. He thought maybe in a few years he'd finally believe her whenever she said that.

_I want to love forever._

_To keep our world together._

_And be the best that I can be._

_Baby, every time the world caves in on me._

Damon Salvatore would willingly love Elena Gilbert for the rest of eternity if she would let him. He would keep her for an eternity too if she would allow him that privilege. He would change her for him, and then he would live up to the person she wanted him to be forever. He would be the absolute best version of himself, for her, because that was what she deserved. She deserved a good man, and he would try to be that for her. He would be whatever she wanted him to be. He would do that because she was always there for him. Whenever the world went pear shaped, she was always by his side. Since she was everything to him, he would be everything to her. And that is the way it would always be.

_You say you love me._

_Just as I am._

_You always treat me the best that you can_

_You say you want me, need me, love me_

_Just as I am._

_Just as I am._

_You say you love me._

_Just as I am._

_You always treat me the best that you can._

_You say you want me, need me, love me_

_Baby just as I am._

_Just as I am._

"What are you still doing awake?" she asked stirring awake with her head on his chest.

"Just thinking." he answered softly.

"What about?" she asked staring up into his crystal clear blue eyes.

"You. I'm always thinking about you." he answered.

"What about me? Good things I hope." she said smiling up at him sleepily.

"Just how much I so don't deserve you." he said sincerely.

"You deserve me. You're the best man I've ever known. And you love me so much more than anyone I've ever known. I love you Damon Salvatore." she told him kissing his lips softly.

"I love you more than anything Elena Gilbert. You've saved my life more times than I can count. Even if it hasn't been physically, it was been emotionally and psychologically. I'm here right now because of you." he told her.

"I've said this to you before. I like you now just the way you are. But now it's I love you now, just the way you are. Don't ever change on me. I want you just as you are. Now go to sleep." she said laying back down on his chest.

"Just the way I am?" he asked staring down at her.

"Yes, just the way you are, and I will for an eternity." she said.


End file.
